How to Move Outlook: Transfer to New Computer, Version, or Mail Client

We wanted to create a one-stop solution for everything you need to know about moving Outlook, to provide convenience, save time, and ensure a smooth transfer process without losing data. Simply follow the steps to your situation.

Table of Contents:
1: Manual Method

• Moving Outlook to a New Computer
• Migrating to a New Version of Outlook
• Moving Specific Outlook Items
• Switching from Outlook to Another Mail Client

2: Simplified Outlook Transfer

1: Moving Outlook to a New Computer

For POP Accounts, Follow the steps below to move Outlook (PST) to a new computer:
Note: If you’re moving between different versions of Outlook, verify that the new version supports the older data file format.

Step 1: Export Outlook Data from the old computer.

• Open Outlook, File > Open & Export > Import/Export.

• Select Export to a file and click Next.

• Choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.

• Select the folder to export or choose the whole account and click Next.
• Choose the location to save the PST file and click Finish.

Step 2: Transfer the PST File to the New Computer

Copy the PST file to a USB drive or cloud service and transfer it to the new computer.

Step 3: Import Outlook Data to the New Computer

• Complete the Outlook profile setup on the new computer and go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
• Select Import from another program or file and click Next.

• Choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.

• Browse for the transferred PST file and click Next.

• Choose whether to import into your current Outlook profile and click Finish.

This process will copy all the emails, contacts, calendars, and settings from the old computer, Once the process is completed verify all the data on the respective Outlook folders.

For Exchange, IMAP, or Office 365, the Outlook data on these accounts are synced with the mail server. Simply set up the account on the new computer, and Outlook will automatically download all data from the server, here is how it’s done:

• Open Outlook on the new computer and add your IMAP, Exchange, or Office 365 account.
• Go to File > Add Account, then enter your account details.
• Outlook will automatically sync your emails, contacts, calendars, and other data from the server.

How to Move Your Outlook Profile to a New Computer

Moving a PST file covers your email data, but your Outlook profile also stores account configurations, send/receive settings, and cached credentials. To fully move an Outlook profile to a new computer, you need to export the profile settings from the Windows Registry and recreate the profile structure on the destination machine. This is especially important if you manage multiple accounts or have custom send/receive groups configured.

On your old computer, open the Registry Editor by pressing Win + R, typing regedit, and pressing Enter. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\[version]\Outlook\Profiles. Right-click your profile name, select Export, and save the .reg file. Copy this file to your new computer along with your PST file, then double-click the .reg file to merge the profile settings into the new machine’s Registry. Finally, open Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Data Files, and point the profile to your imported PST file.

Keep in mind that Registry-based profile migration works best when both machines are running the same version of Windows and Outlook. If you are moving to a different Outlook version, it is safer to recreate the profile manually in Outlook via Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles > Add, and then import the PST file using the Import/Export Wizard. This avoids Registry path conflicts that can cause Outlook to fail on launch.

2: Migrating to a New Version of Outlook

IMAP or Exchange accounts will automatically sync your data across all versions and devices. You only need to set up your email account in the new version of Outlook. The server will handle the data migration.

POP accounts, use the Import/Export wizard on Outlook to transfer the PST files to migrate to the new version of Outlook.

Importing Outlook settings, like rules, signatures, and custom views do not always migrate automatically. So you’ll have to export and import them manually:

Export and Import Rules:

• In the old Outlook, go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts.
• Click Options > Export Rules and save the file.
• In the new Outlook, repeat the steps but click Import Rules and select the file.

Signatures: Copy and paste the Signatures folder to the same directory on the new computer.

Windows: Navigate to C:\Users[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Signatures.

3: Moving Specific Outlook items

IMAP or Exchange accounts can simply drag and drop specific emails, calendar events, contacts, or tasks between different folders or accounts within Outlook.

For POP accounts, You can use the import/export Wizard in Outlook to choose any Outlook item and export it as a PST file. OR You can save them as a file and transfer them, Here is how it is done:

• Open the specific Outlook item you want to save.
• Click File > Save As and choose a file format (email as .msg or .txt, calendar as .ics, contacts as .vcf, tasks as .msg).

• Transfer the file and open it in the other Outlook

4: Switching from Outlook to Another Mail Client

You can move Outlook to another email client. for instance, if you are migrating from Outlook to Gmail. Here is how you do it:

• Export Outlook data to PST file using Import /Export Wizard.
• Now Click on the gear icon and select See all settings.

• Navigate to the Accounts and Import tab, Under Check mail from other accounts, click on Add another email address, enter your Outlook email address, and follow the prompts to upload the PST to Gmail.

Troubleshooting Common Errors When You Move Outlook to a New Computer

Even when following the correct steps to move Outlook to a new computer, you may encounter errors that prevent a clean migration. One of the most common issues is the “The file [filename].pst is not an Outlook data file” error, which typically occurs when the PST was copied while Outlook was still open, leaving the file in a locked or corrupted state. To fix this, close Outlook on the old computer before copying the PST, and run the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe) located at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\ to repair the file before importing it.

Another frequent problem is missing emails or incomplete folder structures after import. This usually happens when only the Inbox subfolder was selected during export instead of the entire mailbox. Re-export the PST by selecting the top-level account folder and checking the box for “Include subfolders” to ensure all mail folders, calendars, contacts, and tasks are captured. If the PST file exceeds 50 GB, consider splitting it by date range using the export filter options to reduce file size and minimize transfer errors.

• Error: “Cannot open your default email folders” Recreate the Outlook profile via Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles and re-link the PST file.
• Error: “File already in use” Ensure Outlook is fully closed (check Task Manager for OUTLOOK.EXE) before copying or importing the PST.
• Missing calendar entries after transfer Export the calendar separately as a .ics file and re-import it via File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Import an iCalendar file.
• Outlook rules not working on new machine Re-export rules from the old Outlook via File > Manage Rules & Alerts > Options > Export Rules, then import on the new machine.
• Large PST causes timeout during import Import in smaller batches by date range, or use a third-party PST import tool that supports background processing.

Simplified Outlook Transfer

Although you can move or transfer Outlook data using built-in tools, you may encounter challenges such as large PST files or the risk of data loss.

To avoid tiresome processes and find a one-stop solution for migrating Outlook to a new computer or a different mail client, a third-party migration tool like Rikvr Transfer for Outlook is recommended. This tool is simple to use and effective in transferring Outlook data.

Steps to Use Rikvr Transfer Outlook for Outlook Migration

Part 1: Backup Outlook

• Close Outlook and related applications, open Rikvr Transfer For Outlook, and click on Transfer Outlook.
• Choose Backup and select Advanced Backup.

• Select Backup Now, create a new profile, and click on Next.

• A list of Outlook items will be displayed, Check if all folders on .pst or .ost are selected.
• Select a destination location to save the backup file.

• After creating the backup file, transfer it to the other system or drive.

Part 2: Transfer Outlook

• Click on Transfer Outlook and select the Transfer option.

• Select the backup file using the Browse option and click Next

• Select the Outlook files that you wish to transfer or choose a complete Outlook profile and click Next.

Once the process is completed and click on Finish, You can access the Outlook data in the transferred location.

Also: How to Switch Between Outlook Accounts?

Conclusion

We hope you found this article helpful in learning about Outlook migration. Before initiating the transfer, ensure you take a backup and check the file compatibility. For simple and effective migration processes, you can try Outlook migration tools to simplify the process.

Frequently Asked Questions